Modern operating systems evolved from the need to run different programs on the same hardware and the desire to maximize utilization of a computer's hardware resources. While it is possible to run user or application programs directly on a processor when a processor first starts processing (so-called “bare metal”), it became apparent that it is inefficient to rewrite and reload, for each new program, the same type of control code to perform the same basic functions such as marshalling the hardware resources of the computer, determining which instructions to load, handling certain types of system faults, and so on. Moreover, it became desirable to increase utilization of a computer's hardware resources; an expensive computer would often go unused as different users reset the computer and loaded their individual programs. For these reasons and others, specialized programs called operating systems were developed.
Operating systems today continue to be designed as special software that aims to efficiently and securely manage the hardware resources of a computer based only on the inherent capabilities and state of those resources. As such, operating systems have been designed only around the inherent computational environment of the host itself. Functionality and algorithms for efficient utilization of resources, optimal computational speed, reliability, etc., have depended only on input and information about the host computer itself. That is to say, core operating system behavior and functionality has only been “aware of” or informed by information about the state of the computer. Functions such as task scheduling, memory protection and allocation, control of access to resources, and management of peripheral devices, have all turned on information (including semantic information) about the computational hardware and software state of the host.
The host-centric design principles and objectives of modern operating systems might reflect the fact that the modern operating system was largely developed before it was common for computers to be mobile. As such, operating systems have only been aware of the virtual environment of the host computer itself. While the miniaturization of computers has increased their mobility and range of uses, their operating systems have remained focused on the virtual environment. Laptop computers, mobile devices, and embedded devices are now used in places and ways not anticipated as operating systems evolved. For example, computers are often the nerve centers of vehicles or robots. Mobile computers may experience changes in physical environment. Scientists and military personnel may use computers in demanding field conditions, yet information about the physical environment of the host computer (temperature, humidity, air pressure, location, speed, etc.) has not been directly used by operating systems.
Despite these changes, operating systems have not been designed to perform their primary functions in ways that take into account the dynamic physical environment of the host computer's immediate vicinity. Even as operating systems have evolved and increased in complexity and in variety of design, they have remained conceptually concerned only with the virtual or abstract computation environment to execute instructions, facilitate the interaction of applications with external peripherals, and so on. Any interaction with or information about the existence of the physical world has been dealt with by a computer only through specific applications that interact with specific peripherals. Such applications typically reside in user space (not kernel space) and usually deal with information about the immediate physical environment for some specific purpose not related to the operating system per se. Moreover, user-space applications do not change the behavior of the kernel or operating system itself.
As noted above, computers have become mobile. Computers and their operating systems are going places and being used in ways not anticipated during the evolution of operating systems. For instance, a device with a GPS (Global Positioning System) component might be traveling along a freeway at high speeds, a factory automation robot might be moving through physically hostile environments, a terminals in the field may experience excessive heat or cold. The operating systems controlling these computing devices have no awareness of the changing physical environment within which they execute.
Techniques related to operating systems with awareness of their physical environment are discussed below.